INFORMATION BULLETIN – Cobalt General Update / 19 August 2019

General Update-Cobalt-

The Australian Trainers’ Association (ATA) has regularly communicated with our national and state regulators over the past 18 months, asking they review the cobalt science, the rules and associated penalties.

The basis for this was that since the introduction of the rules in Victoria in 2014, and nationally, from 1 January 2015, we, as an industry, are better informed on the subject of cobalt.

In particular, we now accept that a host of common commercial products found in almost every stable, from the likes of B12 multivitamin compounds through to salt blocks, can elevate a thoroughbred’s cobalt level to a point where it will breach legal race day thresholds.

On the international front, regulatory attitudes in a number of racing jurisdictions have also ‘softened’ towards cobalt rule breaches, including the use of fines rather than suspensions or disqualifications in New Zealand, England and Ireland.

ATA Members may read more information about this important matter and also see our letter sent to Racing Australia (RA) last Friday by simply logging in and accessing Exclusive News.